Thinner phones with bigger batteries are on the cards for 2017

2017's flagship smartphones will be thinner and have bigger batteries thanks to Qualcomm. The mobile chip manufacturer today took the wraps of its latest high-end processor - the Snapdragon 835 - which is said to be 25% faster than last year's Snapdragon 820, while using 25% less power. This translates to roughly 2.5 hours more battery per day.

In addition, the Snapdragon 835 is physically 35% smaller than its predecessor, which Qualcomm says will allow manufacturers to make thinner smartphones with larger batteries.

Many Android smartphone manufacturers rely on Qualcomm chips; Samsung, LG, Google, Sony, and HTC flagships are often powered by the latest and greatest Snapdragon processor. Microsoft and HP have also used Qualcomm chips for Windows Mobile smartphones.

The Snapdragon 835 is beefy enough to allow phones to playback HDR 4K video at 60fps, and supports Quick Charge 4.0, which promises five hours of use from a five minute charge.

"Our new flagship Snapdragon processor is designed to meet the demanding requirements of mobile virtual reality and ubiquitous connectivity while supporting a variety of thin and light mobile designs," said Qualcomm executive vice president Cristiano Amon. "The Snapdragon 835 has an unprecedented level of technology integration that supports superior battery life, improved multimedia, and exceptional photography with gigabit class speeds for fast, immersive experiences."

In addition to featuring in flagship smartphones, Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 835 will be found in tablets, PCs, and standalone virtual reality and augmented reality devices.

At the end of last year, Qualcomm announced a collaboration with Microsoft that will see Windows 10 run on a Snapdragon mobile processors, with support for all the apps you'd expect, including Photoshop, Office, and more. The first Qualcomm powered Windows 10 PCs are due to be go on sale early this year.

We're expecting to see the first smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 835 announced by early March.

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